Movable contacts for electromagnetic relays



June 13, 1961 R. BERNIER 2,988,615

MOVABLE CONTACTS FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC RELAYS Filed Feb. 25, 1958 Fig. 7

WW: I Ta s Beuwm- United States Patent France The present invention relates to movable contacts for electromagnetic relays.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a contact which lends itself to economical production and which is joined to its insulating support and is capable of being easily mounted on the movable armature of the relay.

It is another object of the present invention to provide in an electromagnetic relay a movable contact which comprises a contact element secured to one end of a conductor strip, the other end of the conductor strip being pierced and is set into the molding of an insulating block of molded material which is secured to the relay armature.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide in an electromagnetic relay wherein one end of a conductor strip forms a tongue out out of the strip and lifted upwardly outside an insulating block carried by the armature, and which tongue serves for feeding current to the contact.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a part-sectional elevation of a relay having a movable contact designed in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary section along the lines IIII of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, the frame 1 of a relay carries a coil 2 and by means of an insulating plate 3 carried by an upwardly bent portion of the frame 1, an immovable contact 4 connected with one conduit of a terminal 5. A movable armature 6 is supported at 7 on another upwardly bent portion of the frame 1 and comprises a cranked extension 8 which cooperates with an abutment 9 integral with the frame 1. A helical spring 11 is secured to the abutment 9 and to the portion of the armature 6 which is on the right (FIG. 1) of its supporting point 7.

The movable contact comprises a contact element 13 adapted to engage the immovable contact 4 in circuit closing position and riveted to one end of a conduit strip 14. The other end of the conduit strip is set into the mold of an insulating block 15, which is of parallelepiped form, by example in the embodiment shown. The insulating block 15 is secured to and supported by the 2,988,615 Patented June 13, 1961 ICC armature 6 by any suitable securing means, such as, for example, counter-sunk screws 16, shown in broken lines in FIG. 1.

In order to eliminate the possibility that the contact strip is removed from the insulating block 15 after molding said strip into the block 15, its end which is set in the block 15 is recessed to receive the molding material. In the embodiment shown in the drawing, this recess is obtained by cutting out and lifting up a tongue 17 which thus leaves an opening 18 in the strip end. The tongue 17, which is lifted out from the insulating block 15, receives the free end of an electrical conduit 19 connecting the movable contact 13 with another conduit of the terminal 5.

The contact strip 14 which carries the movable contact 13 may be of a shape different from that shown in the drawing. The insulating block 15 may be secured to the armature 6 by other means than those shown by example in the drawing.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined by the objects and the claim.

I claim:

In an electromagnetic relay, a frame, a coil receiving a core member supported by said frame, a double-armed armature spring-biased to said frame and disposed opposite said core member, a terminal receiving two conduits secured to said frame, an immovable contact supported by and connected with one of said conduits of said terminal, an insulating block carried by said armature, and a resilient conduit strip, one end of the latter having a tongue cut out thereof and bent outwardly and defining a recess formed by said cut-out, said one end of said conduit strip being molded into said insulating block, a movable contact secured to the other end of said conduit strip and adapted to engage said immovable contact, and a conduit member connecting the end of said tongue with the other of said conduits of said terminal.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,670,189 Christie May 15, 1928 1,702,490 Brach Feb. 19, 1929 1,992,432 Kilgour Feb. 26, 1935 2,039,957 Hall May 5, 1936 2,471,181 Wilson May 24, 1949 2,500,413 Horlacher Mar. 14, 1950 2,539,628 Kingdon Jan. 30, 1951 2,743,331 Lauder et al Apr. 24, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 260,335 Italy Sept. 15, 1928 

